"The opposite of the religious fanatic is not the fanatical atheist but the gentle cynic who cares not whether there is a god or not."
- Eric Hoffer

Wednesday, 11 May 2011

Never too young

Chris Whitehead from Cambridgeshire is a brave young man. With the warmer weather that usually signals the summer, school kids obviously want the chance to wear cooler uniforms. However, due to school policy brought into effect two years ago, boys at Impington Village College aren't allowed to wear shorts in the warmer months. In protest, Chris attended school in a skirt, thanks to a loophole that didn't prevent boys from doing so. He reasons that it's discriminatory against boys as girls were allowed to switch to skirts come summer time, but boys have to remain in long trousers.

In the summer girl students are allowed to wear skirts but boys are not allowed to wear shorts. We think that this discriminates against boys. I will march in a skirt with other boys waving banners and making a lot of noise.

I will be wearing the skirt at school all day in protest at the uniform policy and addressing the assembly with the student council, wearing a skirt.

I find it really uplifting that this young man was able to find the courage within himself to make a bold statement for what he perceived to be a wrong in school policy. He has been cited as being interested in politics as a career. Good luck to him, I say. If he can hang on to his guts and his strong principles, then I can see him becoming a valuable asset in the world of politics.

Extra thought: With the loophole in their uniform policy allowing boys to wear skirts, could this not be an opprtunity for possible transgendered boys to feel more comfortable in school? I know kids can be cruel and bullying rife in any school, but this is an opportunity or and inspiration for others to use in their own fight for equality in school.